Gas-machine



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

JOSEPH S. VOOD, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

GAS-MACHINE;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 289,593, dated December t, 1883.

Application filed August 2s,1se:s. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OSEPH S. WVoon, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas Machines. of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in automatic gas apparatus of that class in which the vapors are generated from light hydrocarbons by means of heat; and the invention consists, first, in a novel combination of parts for actuating the needle-valves of the mixing-chamber and of the burner that heats the retort with a gas-holding drum, so as to automaticallyregulate the operation of the machine by the rise or fall of the drum, according to the gas consumed.

The accompanying drawing represents a vertical longitudinal section of my improved gas-machine.

A represents a gas-generating retort, of cylindrical. or other shape, which is provided at its bottom with a downwardly-extending perforated flange, a. A gas-burner is arranged below the retort, and supported by a downwardly-extending gaspipe, b, that communicates by a small gas-supply opening, b, with the lower part of the gas-burner B, said opening being opened or closed by means of ahorizontal needle-valve, b The gas-burner B is further providedwith a vertical needle-valve,-

B, that opens or closes an opening, d, leading to the mixing-chamber of the burner, which mixing-chamber has an air-port, d, as customary in vapor-burners of this class. The needle-valve B is .pivoted at its lower end to a sleeve, 6, that is applied bya set-screw, e, to the end of a fulcrumed lever, G. The tip posite end of the lever O is connected by an intermediate pivot-link, G, with a lever, D, that is fulcrumed to supporting-arms D, secured rigidly to the top of the retort A. The opposite end of the lever D is connected to a vertical rod, f, of the drum F of a gas-holder, F. The rod f is guided in eyes of fixedbrackets f of the lower part of the holder F, and provided with screw-nuts f between the brackets, which screw-nuts are adjustable higher or lower on the threaded middle portion of the guide-rod f. The gas holder is constructed, in the usual manner, witha condensingchamber, F, at the lower part, to

air-pressure.

which the gas-main that leads to the burners is connected. An upright pipe, g, extends from the condensing chamber F into the drum, so as'to supply the gas to the drum at a point above the level of the water used for sealing the drum. The retort A is connected by a short pipe, a, to avalve-chamber, E, the

conical eduction-opening 1; of which is closed or opened bya needle-valve, E, the outer end of which is connected, by a. slotted strap, E having a stop-screw, h, at its upper part and a knife-edge, h, at its lower part, to the shorter arm of the fulcrumed lever D. The valve i. The mixed vapors and air are forced through the injection-throat i into a connecting gaspipe, i and thence conducted to the condensing-chamber F at the lower part of the gas-holder F. The naphtha or otherlight hydrocarbon is conducted from the oil-tank to the retort A by a valved pipe,.H, in which it is forced to ascend to the retort by suitable The connecting-lever D is pro vided below its fulcrumwith a beveled projection or trip, m, that is acted upon by a band-spring, m, attached to the top of the retort A. The spring m assists in quickly opening or closing the needle-valves of the mixing-chamber and burner when the point of the trip on has passed to one side or the other of a vertical line passing through the fulcrum of the lever D. When the drum F, after havingj been filled with gas, gradually falls, so that the trip m of the lever E passesthe center line of its ful'crum,'the action of the spring on the trip m produces the quick downward motion of the lever E, which opens the needlevalves of the mixing-chamber and burner to their full extent, so as to enlarge the heatingflame and cause the generation of a larger quantity of gas. When, however, by the rise of the drum F, the trip passes through the;

center of the fulcrum in opposite direction, the action of the spring imparts at that moment a quick motion to the lever D and to the needle-valves of the mixing-chamber and burner, so as to quickly reduce thereby the size of the heating-flame and diminish thereby the supply of gas to the drum F. The alternate rising and falling of the gas drum regulates in this manner automatically the generation of gas in the retort. The apparatus works, however, also in a reliable and automatical manner without the spring 111/, owing to the connection of the gasdrum with the fulcrumed lever D and the needle-valves of the mixing-chamber and burner, as the drum, and consequently the lever IE, will rise or fall with the varying consumption of gas, and thereby close or open the needle-valves, so that a quantity of gas corresponding to the number of burners in use is generated in the retort. The regulating trip and spring, however, have the advantage that at certain positions of the gas-drum the generation of gas will be quickly increased or diminished, as the machine responds thereby more effectively to the requirements.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The oil-tank is filled with oil that is placed under air-pressure therein, so that the oil will pass through the supply-pipe H into the retort. The burner B is first heated up for starting the apparatus by alcohol that is burned in a cup at the lower part of the burner B. The horizontal needlevalve of the burner B is next opened, so that some of the oil can pass through the burner, where it is mixed with air and ignited. The flame of the burner then heats gradually the retort and generates vapors therein, which keep up continuously the flame of the burner B by means of the connecting-pi pe I), while the greater portion passes through the valve-chamber E into the mixing-chamber G, where they are mixed with atmospheric air, and then conducted through the pipe i to the gas-drum F, from which the burners are supplied with gas. The generation of vapors in the retort is diminished as the drum rises by the action of the intermediate lever mechanism, and increased when the drum falls and the gas is consumed by the burners. \Vhen the apparatus is properly started and regulated, it requires no further attention, as all the different operations are accomplished automatically.

My improved automatic gas-machine is of simple construction, and can be furnished at a comparative small expense. It works with great regularity and precision, and supplies illuminating-gas in sufficient quantity as required by the number of gas-burners thrown into use. WVhen some of the gas-burners are extinguished, the generation of gas is automatically diminished, and increased when a larger number is lighted.

I am aware that gas-machines of that class in which the mixing-chamber of the retort, the burner of the retort, and the valves of a system of gas-conducting pipes are connected by a suitable lever mechanism with the gas-holder are not new, and I therefore do not claim these features. In these gas-machines the burner of, the retort is: supplied with gas from the gasholder or from the 1niXing-chamber of the retort, according to the position of the gas holder, whereby the generation of gas in the retort is automatically controlled. This is diferent from my method of automatically c011- trolling the generation of gas, as in my machine the burner is not connected to the gasholder and supplied with gas therefrom, but connectedto the retort, so as to receive its gas-supply directly from the same. The generation of gas is controlled by the rise or fall of the gas-holder, which is connected by interthe miXing-chamber and burner, whereby the generation of gas is regulated in a very simple and effective manner.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination of a generating-retort, a burner connected byavalved gas-pipe to the retort and provided with a gas and air mixing chamber,a vertically-sliding needle-valve of the burner, a mixing-chamber connected to the retort and having a needle-valve, a gas-- holder having avertically-movable gas-drum, and actuating-lever mechanism that connects the drum with'the needle-valves of the burner and mixing-chamber, whereby the generation of the gas is automatically controlled by the rising or falling of the drum, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a generating-retort, A, a burner, B, for heating the same, a needle valve, B, of the burner, a mixing-chamber, G, a needle-valve, E, of the same, actuating-levers O and 1), connected to the needle-valves of the burner and mixing-chamber, and a gasdrum, F, connected to the lever D, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination of a gcneratingretort, A. needle-valves B and E of the burner and mixing-chamber, fulcrumed and connected le vers O andl), and a gasdrum, F, having a guide-rod, f, with adjustable screw-nuts f, the lever having a tapering trip, m, that is engaged by a spring, m, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in pres ence of two subscribing witnesses.

JosnPHs. woon.

W'itnesses:

PAUL GoErnL, SIDNEY MANN.

mediate lever mechanism with the valves of 

